Korean Job Discussion Forums

Julius · Joined: 27 Jul 2006

have you ever had a place- ie restaurant or PC bang, say, gradually stop serving you because you were losing them customers?
Most places are Ok with me, but there is 1 PC bang and 1 restaurant in particular that hate to see me because their korean customers are afraid of me. I mean, I seem to clear them both out of customers within minutes.

a) PC Bang: Within about 10 minutes, every korean on my row has left.- sometimes they even turn off the computer then say to the management its not working and they want to sit somewhere else. etc. Anyhow, the boss's face falls like a stone whenever I walk in there, because he knows he'll lose about 20 customers because they just don't want to sit next to a foreigner.

b) restaurant: similar deal, this one started out great but over time they noticed that nobody wants to eat in the same room as a wayguk. So they started to serve me really late and take ages to get my order, finally seemingly missing out stuff on purpose. it was as if they were saying don't come here anymore because you're scaring off customers.

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

The first question you must ask yourself is is there something wrong with you?

Fresh Prince · Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Location: The glorious nation of Korea

I've had that happen with a kimbop shop. They would serve all the other Korean customers before me even though I arrived and ordered well before their arrival. There was a clear atmosphere of foreigner not welcome. I quit going there and found one that really treats me well. The new place is great.

I've found that it is hit and miss. There are the ultra anti-foreigner places, and the places that like foreigners. The places that like foreigners get all my business. I guess the places that don't like foreigners have enough money where they don't care about turning away customers.

The Hierophant · Joined: 13 Sep 2005

endo · Joined: 14 Mar 2004 Location: Seoul...my home

Julius · Joined: 27 Jul 2006

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

My first guess would be BO.

endo · Joined: 14 Mar 2004 Location: Seoul...my home

Cedar · Posted: Mon May 07, 2007 8:27 am Post subject:

I would find this story preposterous, except for where he admits that after it happens once (could be BO or chance or scary stuff about the guy that drives off people who are very close by) he gives other Koreans the evil eye. Living in Korea for so many years, I never saw that I made customers edge away or move their seats in a restaurant or PC bang... occassionally a business owner or employees don't like foreigners much, but if you treat them nicely and chat with them, next thing you know, you're their favorite customer and you want to give them business just to see them again.

Why would a PC bang want a customer who hunches over a computer scaring the rest of the people in the row? Maybe rolling his eyes at their noise, cursing at their cigarette smoke, but definitely glaring at them unkindly. The PC bang owner is reacting to a situation that (if it exists) is being caused by an obnoxious foreigner.